Christian Context Research Articles

LA RELIGIONE ROMANA IN PROSPETTIVA

It is necessary to question the confusion currently prevalent in the study of ancient religions between the religion of the individual, in the romantic meaning of the concept, and polytheistic and ritualistic religions as practiced in the Roman world until the emergence of Christianity. By refusing this anachronistic reference to the notion of the individual, and by including in his research the history of the notion of person, which, as historical anthropology has shown, is a later concept that emerged during the forth-fifth century and in a Christian context, the historian is much more open to the study and understanding of religions different from Christianity.

Removing the Ballast of Religion from the Religiosity – Simmel’s Theoretical and Epistemological Contribution to Contemporary Religiology

Simmel's hypothesis on the analytical, but also the substantial difference between the process of religiosity and religion as a rounded ethical and practical system, served us as an epistemological basis for the study of the transformation of religiosity in contemporary society. Following Kant's logic of distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge, Simmel differentiates the form from content in various spheres of the social reality, even in the field of religious. This German sociological classic defines religiosity as a form that can, but does not have to be hypostasized in a highly specialized and highly institutionalized collectivist religious system. Removing the ballast of religion from religiosity, Simmel has given an important cognitive impulse to explore various alternative religious concepts that often have a loose organization of the structure (or not having one at all) and which are most often focused on individual spirituality. The dialectical relationship between religion and religiosity allows different forms of spirituality to be adequately investigated, as well as to point out the way in which they survive and often converge different traditional and alternative religious systems, especially in the Western Christian context, which was in Simmel’s focus. Thus, this paper highlights the most important theoretical and epistemological contributions to the study of religions and religiosity that left it to sociologists, but also philosophers and anthropologists, one of the most prominent European thinkers in the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. A special emphasis will be placed on the study of the (de)ecularization process, as well as on individual spirituality in the contemporary world. The phenomena which is goting to be specially considered is cyber spirituality, precisely in the context of the study of various types of spirituality that will converge in contemporary society, as Simmel anticipated.

Common presenting problems in religious lay counselling practice in Ghana

ABSTRACTMental help systems in Ghana are overwhelmed with severe and chronic mental health issues. Yet, rapid urbanisation is contributing to a weakening of traditional help systems. Religious organisations offer a viable option through counselling ministries and groups. To understand the role lay counselling plays in the help system in Ghana, we interviewed one hundred (N = 100; age range: 24–80) lay counsellors practising mainly in Christian and Islamic religious contexts across four urban centres in Ghana. The purpose was to examine what people seek counselling for; and assess how this legitimatises lay counselling as part of the existing system of care in Ghana. Findings show that most presenting problems are interpersonal in nature and are typically low level, non-life threatening issues. Presenting problems did not focus on mental disorders. The implications of these findings are discussed along with directions for future studies.

Jonathan Edwards, Petitionary Prayer, and the Cognitive Science of Religion

ABSTRACTThe contemporary field of cognitive science proposes that religion (1) is a natural evolutionary development and (2) involves a two-system model of reasoning that, in a Christian context, moves from basic beliefs in God to a theological elaboration of those beliefs. The transition from natural religion to theology can lead to tensions, if not contradictions in thinking. An examination of the writings of Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) on petitionary prayer uncovers this difficulty, both among his Northampton parishioners and Edwards himself. Pastors and theologians would do well to appreciate the implications of cognitive science in consideration of their own formulations.

Fearing the stranger? Homiletical explorations in a fear-filled world

The large number of xenophobic attacks that broke out in different places in South Africa during 2008 was still continuing unabated 10 years later. We were stressed to come to terms with the reality that this occurred in a country that is globally considered to be an example of reconciliation. It is clear that we were confronted by the politics of fear, which were manifested in xenophobia and all the other -isms. In this article, the primary causes of these xenophobic outbreaks were scrutinised and placed within the wider framework of a culture of fear. The central research question is: Why are we still struggling with this phenomenon more than a decade after it first appeared on South African soil? In-depth analysis will be performed on what is lying behind the culture of fear underlying these acts of violence. After exploring some of the factors related to a culture of fear by making use of a sociological frame, the author moved on to answer a second question: How do we, as preachers, researchers and practical theologians, respond in a theological way to the challenges posed by a xenophobic culture in our preaching activities? Finally, the impact of violence and fear on the practice of preaching within a Christian context was discussed.

Iuxta dominicam viventes: the meaning of Sunday Mass for Christians in Indonesia

ABSTRACT It is arguable that many of today’s Christians do not understand the meaning of the Sunday Mass. This is also the case in Indonesia, where a sizeable number attend Mass regularly, but its deeper meaning is not well known. This article aims to explore that meaning, on the basis of St Ignatius of Antioch’s words, iuxta dominicam viventes. Without ignoring the translation problems which it poses, the present writer approaches this quotation from Ignatius through Gadamer’s hermeneutics, first placing it within the tradition and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, then discussing its wealth of meaning from the perspective of the context of Christians in Indonesia, in the hope that the points which have meaning for them may be better understood and offered to Christians with similar experience in other places.

A Muslim Holy Man to Convert Christians in a Transottoman Setting: Approaches to Sarı Saltuk from the Late Middle Ages to the Present

Interpretations of texts on Sarı Saltuk may serve as a central example of the entanglement of Muslim and Christian contexts in (south-)eastern Europe and the Near East. Analyzing the fifteenth-century Saltuk-nâme and reports by Evliya Çelebi from the seventeenth century, a wide extension of the area concerned, as far as Poland-Lithuania, Muscovy and Sweden, can be observed. With the change of the contents of reports from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, an increasing interest in Christians participating in the veneration of sites connected to Sarı Saltuk can be remarked. Yet descriptions of a veneration of Sarı S altuk in a non-Muslim setting r emain firmly embedded in Christian contexts, complicating a transreligious interpretation of them. In today’s Turkish perspective, though, Sarı Saltuk is no longer contextualized in a manner encompassing Russia and Poland, too, but much more in a context focusing on and affirming national Turkish Anatolian or nationalized post-Ottoman contents in the Balkans.

A liturgical comparative study of Sotho initiation and Christian baptism

At first glance, there appears to be similarities between traditional Sotho initiation and Christian baptism, as both give the individual entrance into a new stage of life. This study compares African initiation in the Sotho context with initiation and baptism in the Christian context. The following aspects served as comparison: concepts of initiation, admission requirements, separation and new naming, the process of initiation through circumcision and baptism, community and the initiation, teaching in the initiation, and controversies in the initiation process. The correct biblical teaching and the right approach will overcome wrong teachings that emanate from African concepts about ancestral spirits and witchcraft, and the initiation school. This comparison opens the eyes for the Sotho initiation to discover and rethink the importance of the concept of baptism, the requirement of faith in baptism, the radical separation of the baptised person from the unbaptised, the importance of new naming, the Name of the triune God, the beauty of the process of baptism, the importance for the baptised to live, to experience and contribute to the community life of the church, the necessary teaching before and after baptism and to deal with controversies on the basis of Scripture.

‘God has breathed into us the breath of life’ – Jewish and Christian approaches to breathing meditation in an Australian context

ABSTRACTBreathing meditation (BM) in both Jewish and Christian contexts focuses on the breath as the vivifying Spirit, Holy Spirit or life force. A flourishing theology of the body must of necessity be an ‘embodied spirituality’, and ought to encompass a biblical and spiritual theology of the whole person. This article demonstrates the practicality of this BM technique by outlining possible approaches during a typical week within an Australian context. The article explores a shorter series of ‘dawn to morning meditations’ through the lens of Judaism, and another complementary, longer suite for the ‘afternoon to night’ period based on the Christian tradition, including one meditation based on Australian Aboriginal spirituality. Each meditation exercise could be adapted for either adults, senior students or primary students. All exercises, apart from the Dadirri and name of G-d examples, are original compositions trialled by the author.

Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead?

In the vox populi of Mark 6:14-16 (cf. 8:28), we find the puzzling claim that some believed Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. The presentation of John in the Gospel is similar to Jesus: Mark depicts John as a prophetic figure who is arrested, executed, buried by his disciples, and—according to some—raised from the dead. This paper reviews scholarship on the question of whether the tradition concerning John's resurrection—as well as the tradition concerning his death to which it is prefixed (6:17-29)—originated outside of the early Christian community. We examine the possibility that sects or individuals in the ancient world believed John had indeed been raised from the dead—as well as figures supposedly connected to John (Dositheus, Simon Magus). We conclude on the basis of internal evidence from the Gospel that the report in 6:14-16 likely originated in a Christian context. At the same time, it may also provide a glimpse into first-century CE attitudes concerning the resurrection from the dead.

El mito antisemita en la crisis española del siglo XX

El presente artículo pretende aproximarse al tema del antisemitismo español en el crítico periodo de la República, la Guerra Civil y la 2.ª Guerra Mundial. En él se presenta una tipología del antisemitismo contemporáneo, y se sitúa al español dentro de la corriente cristiana, diferenciada de la del racismo völkisch alemán. Se aporta una visión de conjunto de las manifestaciones antisemitas de los diversos grupos de la derecha antiliberal española del periodo citado y de sus antecedentes. Se relaciona el antisemitismo español con la filosofía de la historia dominante en el sector ideológico estudiado. Se resumen las consecuencias que tuvo este antisemitismo en el trato que el régimen franquista dio a los judíos españoles y a los que intentaban huir de la Europa nazi durante la 2.ª Guerra Mundial. Y, finalmente, se aporta una interpretación sobre las funciones ideológicas e históricas del fenómeno estudiado.

Art and technology interactions in Islamic and Christian context: Historical approach to architectural globalization

Efficient interaction between art and technology enabled Islamic architecture to actively experience early globalization, but today׳s separation between these domains and technological hegemony have presented challenges to Islamic architecture. Accordingly, this research was aimed at illuminating art and technology interactions in Islamic architecture during early globalization when it flourished along with Christian architecture. To this end, logical reasoning and qualitative data analysis were performed in parallel on 12 chains of mostly worship-oriented artworks, such as mosques and churches. The results indicated that art and technology interactions in Islamic and Christian architecture were underlain by the same nature and sequential pattern of beginning from primitive technology and ending with innovative technology (art). The cultural and technological value of these architectural styles eventually crossed geographical boundaries. Therefore, the beneficial interactions between art and technology enabled Islamic and Christian architecture to participate in globalization through the conveyance of their value to other regions even as differences existed in the measures implemented for such transmission.

Liturgies in a Plural Age: The Concept of Liturgy in the Works of William T. Cavanaugh and James K. A. Smith

In the article the political theologians William T. Cavanaugh’s and James K. A. Smith’s understanding of liturgy is analyzed and compared. In an effort to engage with public life from the perspective of theology, they both develop an understanding of liturgy that does not restrict it to a practice within a Christian context. Instead, they argue that liturgies are practices that also are observable within secular contexts. From this analysis, two understandings of liturgy are highlighted: liturgy as resistance and liturgy as dialogue. In conclusion, the article discusses what implications these understandings of liturgy have for the Church when confronting a contemporary pluralistic public context.

Star Wars Soundtracks: The Worship Music of John Williams

Music and religion have a long and constitutive history. When considering the potential religious dimensions of the Star Wars universe, musical elements should not be ignored. This article explores the iconic musical scores of John Williams for the Star Wars franchise as a form of worship music. Worship music, especially in Western contemporary Christian contexts, is employed for embodied expression, emotional experience, and spiritual encounter. In a similar fashion, the musical themes and sound world of Star Wars can engage fans in a visceral experience of, and encounter with, something beyond the natural. This article establishes the criteria and effects of contemporary worship music and applies that framework to Williams’s key themes for the Star Wars universe.

CRISTIANISMO TECNOLÓGICO: AS IGREJAS EVANGÉLICAS E AS NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS

O presente artigo contempla uma abordagem reflexiva acerca do cristianismo tecnológico, enfatizando o crescimento tecnológico no século XXI, as igrejas evangélicas e o seu relacionamento com a tecnologia, bem como os problemas originários dessa relação. Sabe-se que a tecnologia avança a olhos nus, invadindo cada vez mais todos os setores da sociedade, e que ela é indispensável no mundo globalizado. O computador, a TV, o celular, o notebook, a internet, o smartphone, o tablet, etc., são novidades em constante evolução. Este trabalho aponta a internet como um recurso que pode fornecer conteúdos que qualificam a relação do indivíduo com Deus, a qual se tornou uma ferramenta extremamente útil e necessária para a articulação de setores da igreja evangélica, uma vez que dinamiza o tempo e as informações e, acima de tudo, atualiza e alarga horizontes. Conclui-se, portanto, que a internet, sem dúvida, é um campo de atuação cristã. Tratando-se da era digital, é possível afirmar que o atual contexto cristão exige uma atualidade das linguagens e das interações multimidiáticas. Porém, a fé pode ser afetada, mediante as muitas ofertas de distração dos recursos tecnológicos, quando o conteúdo central não é comunicado numa linguagem adequada ao tempo e ao meio.

Personalism as Interpersonalism

This essay will examine an illuminating convergence in the thoughts of Pope John Paul II and the cultural anthropologist René Girard. It will be seen that this convergence is a consequence of the shared concern of both to understand the human person in terms of its relation to other persons. So while not a personalist philosopher in the strict sense, René Girard’s concern for the interpersonal brings him close to the personalism of John Paul II, who likewise understands human subjectivity in terms of the relations by which it is constituted. Both practice what might be called an “interpersonalist” personalism, which this essay will argue ought to characterize the practice of personalism in a Christian context. The essay will make this observation the basis for further reflections on the nature of personalism and its relation to the Christian intellectual tradition.

Simon Magus: The Invention and Reception of a Magician in a Christian Context

Simon Magus: The Invention and Reception of a Magician in a Christian Context

The Church of SS Peter and Paul, West Mersea, Essex: An Anglo-Saxon Minster on a Major Roman Villa Site

The church at West Mersea, on Mersea Island, was an Anglo-Saxon minster first documented in the later 10th century, but there are signs of earlier origins. The island was accessed by a causeway dated by dendrochronology to the end of the 7th century, while investigation of the fabric of the church indicates that the constructional technique of the lower nave north wall is similar to that of the neighbouring late-7th-century church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea. Though the evidence is circumstantial, the church at West Mersea may have been built at the same date. The church occupies the site of a very extensive Roman villa complex. This was largely revealed by 18th-century antiquarian activity, which resulted in inevitable destruction of deposits and only vague accounts of features. Nevertheless, an approximate idea of the extent of the villa can be realised. East of the villa was a Roman wheel-tomb supported by twelve buttresses. The latter could have been (re)interpreted in a Christian context, the buttresses symbolising the Apostles.

The Holy Spirit as seen through the prism of Islam

The phrase “the Holy Spirit” or “the Spirit of the Holy” is mentioned four times in the Quran. The first three cases associate it with Issa the Son of Maryam (Jesus Christ). As the Quran says, Allah strengthened Issa by the Spirit of the Holy. In the fourth case, the Holy Spirit is seen immediately related to the process of divine revelation. The Quranic text, taken separately from the commentaries (tafāsīr), does not provide any specific indications of how “the Spirit of the Holy” should be understood. The Tafsīr of aṭ-Ṭabarī, which is the closest to the time of the Quran, gives three versions of its meaning: the angel Jibril, the Gospel (al-Injīl) and the word by which Issa raised the dead. Later on, the first version became dominant in the Sunni tradition. The Shias ignored the Quranic association of the Holy Spirit with Issa and proclaimed it the highest of the created spirits, even superior than the angels Jibril and Mikail. This spirit at first settled itself into Muhammad, removed after his death into Imam Ali, and then consecutively lived in all Infallible Imams until finally being settled in Imam al-Mahdi, concealed by Allah from the humankind. The Spirit of the Holy, according to Shias, granted Imams with the full knowledge of everything. The erroneous Quranic conception of the Trinity as “the father, the son and the spouse” took the notion of the Holy Spirit out of the Christian context of the Holy Trinity. Meanwhile, the obvious association of the Holy Spirit with Christ in the Quran serves as evidence of the Christian origin of this notion, hung in the air in Sunni Islam and surprisingly developed into something principally new in the Shia mystic doctrine of Imamate.

A linguagem alegórica e a poesia épica cristã

Os métodos alegóricos de interpretação comuns à tradição literária greco-romana foram adaptados às Escrituras Judaicas durante os primeiros séculos da era cristã. A emergência gradual da exegese cristã neste período depende de mudanças de perspectivas mais amplas e mais profundas, associadas com três movimentos que se cruzam: judaico, platônico e gnóstico. Neste período, diante influência do cristianismo, ocorreu também a difusão da alegoria na épica e a interpretação alegórica em gêneros não épicos no contexto cristão ou pelo menos em contextos influenciados pelo Cristianismo. Considerando isto, este artigo apresenta a obra Psicomaquia de Prudentius (348-405 d.C.), um poema épico alegórico cristão que descreve uma série de batalhas entre virtudes e vícios em torno do domínio da alma humana, isto é, a vida humana traduzida como luta trágica entre o bem e o mal. A prática de introduzir personagens narrativas na épica, cujos nomes representam qualidades abstratas e cujas ações podem ser comparadas às ações dos heróis ou deuses, era um motivo épico comum explorado na literatura greco-romana.